


I Know Who I Am (Hello, My Name is Human)

by OceanShay



Category: MapleStory
Genre: Gen, also implied ed/ain but not much more than is in canon, canon character death, i think i like quieg a little too much and i know nexon aint gonna give us more content for them, impulse wrote this in like two hours, so i am making it myself, wish i could have this kind of motivation for my school work lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:15:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29418516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OceanShay/pseuds/OceanShay
Summary: In which Quieg goes rogue and has an actual emotion.
Kudos: 3





	I Know Who I Am (Hello, My Name is Human)

**Objective:** Eliminate the moles. 

Quieg was new to the group of knights that occupied this town, and he knew that they were all rejects from knighthood for one reason or another. He even knew his own reason for being there, given that he had a hard time interacting with people. The group was nice enough, though. 

But right now he had other things to focus on, like  _ killing this damn mole _ . It was the only one that had managed to evade him so far, after he got shocked by Ain and missed on the fatal swing of his daggers. It was okay, though. He knew Ain meant well and that he would be fine when he could get a break to fix himself up. 

If only that stupid mole would show its face again and he could finally swipe it so they could finish their job. 

_ Aha! _

Quieg quickly threw one of his daggers at the mole, striking it in the head as an arrow whizzed past it. 

“Not again,” a voice said behind him, disappointed. 

“It’s okay Ryan, you just need to practice a little more,” he heard Ain say to the archer. 

“You say that every time.” 

“It’s because you never actually practice. How are you supposed to get better at aiming if you don’t at least try to practice on a still target?” 

“I guess,” Ryan said. Quieg turned around to offer some advice, but none came to mind. “It’s hard when he’s so quick to the catch.” 

Ain looked at Quieg apologetically. He knew that Ryan didn’t really mean anything by his comment and brushed it off. He waved slightly to Ain before walking away back to camp. 

\--- 

“That was a long day, huh,” Ed said, leaning back in his chair. “Even Quieg had a hard time catching that last mole.” 

“If he would just talk to us sometimes, it might help our coordination as a team,” Hardin said, pointedly staring at Quieg, who was polishing his dagger. Did he forget to grab his other one from this morning? 

“Quieg, you drop this?” Kellad asked from across the camp, holding up his other dagger. 

“Yes,” was all Queig said in response. 

“Do you even know any other words besides ‘yes sir’ and ‘no’?” Ain asked. 

“Sure,” Quieg replied, taking the dagger from Kellad. 

“Smartass,” she muttered under her breath. 

“I heard you.” 

Ain just made an angry gesture towards him while the others laughed. 

“Don’t let him get to you too much. I heard he was kicked off his last team because he sucks at communicating,” Ed whispered to Ain. Those two were always particularly close, but Quieg didn’t know the extent of their relationship. 

“Yeah. I mean he helps get the work done, which is enough for me!” Ryan chirped up, a little louder than he meant to. 

“Anything is enough if you set your standards low enough,” Ed replied back. 

The group of misfit knights bantered like that for the rest of the night while Quieg continued cleaning his daggers. 

He did feel something...warm inside him, though, but he couldn’t tell what it was. 

\--- 

The next day was largely the same, exterminating more moles that had popped up in another town and were causing trouble for the citizens there. Quieg tried to talk more with his teammates, but he didn’t know how. It just wasn’t in his programming. 

He did know, however, that Kellad had been talking with Prince Sharen IV about overthrowing the current ruler. Quieg didn’t feel strongly about the ordeal one way or another, although every statistic he ran, the outcome remained the same. 

He couldn’t talk back to his leader though. 

\--- 

**Objective:** Save the prince and the kingdom. 

Quieg and the other knights ran inside the castle, seeing everyone fleeing from whatever was inside. Apparently King Sharen III had summoned a demon who had killed him and then attacked his son, although Sharen IV’s status was still unknown. Quieg knew about the dedication between Kellad and the prince, and it was his duty to serve Kellad. He ran inside without a second thought along with the others. 

“Well...what are we supposed to do?” Ain asked, holding her staff close to her chest. 

“What’s the quickest way to the throne room?” Hardin asked, stepping to the front. 

“Maybe if we split up, if one way is faster, at least there will be someone there to help the prince,” Ryan suggested, knocking an arrow in his bow. 

“I don’t think splitting up is a good idea, but I don’t have enough knowledge of the castle layout to say anything,” Ed said. 

Kellad agreed and split the group in half. Ain, Hardin, and Ryan would go one route, Ed and Quieg another, and Kellad would go on his own down the last hallway. 

Ed tried to make conversation with Quieg, asking about what he did before he joined with the knights, but Quieg didn’t have any answers. 

Come to think of it, he didn’t really remember what he did before he joined them. It wasn’t that long ago that he joined, so why couldn’t he remember anything that happened before that? 

Before Quieg could respond, a group of monsters attacked the two of them and interrupted what little conversation there was. 

\---

It didn’t take long to clear out the monsters, and they met up with the other knights outside the throne room door. They talked briefly about what they had seen in the hallways until Kellad stepped out and they began creating a plan. They didn’t know what to expect when they walked inside so they needed to be careful. 

Kellad didn’t want to lose anyone. 

They pushed the doors open and stood face to face with a giant, well, demon. It towered above them, attacking relentlessly as they pushed forwards in a desperate attempt to defeat it. 

“Agh!” someone behind him shouted, having been struck by the demon. Quieg couldn’t afford to get distracted by it, though. He kept pushing forward, slashing at the demon until… 

He lurched forwards, slicing at thin air in a place that definitely wasn’t the throne room. 

“Huh?” Ed sounded as confused as Quieg felt. “I thought I died?” 

_ Oh. _

“How did we get back out here?” Ryan asked, lowering his bow. 

“It must’ve been that demon’s powers,” Hardin said. 

“But then how is Ed still alive?” Ain asked. 

“Maybe the wound wasn’t actually fatal?” Ryan said, unsure. 

“But I don’t even have a wound where I was hit.” 

“Regardless, we didn’t defeat the demon and need to try again,” Kellad said from behind everyone. 

“Which route are we taking?” 

“Let’s go through the hallway Quieg and Ed went through. It seemed to be the faster route last time.” 

Quieg saw Hardin looking at the hallway he had gone down last time with a look of sadness on his face. 

“Yeah,” Hardin eventually agreed. “Let’s go that way.” 

“Everyone else in agreement?” 

Quieg and the others nodded before making their way through the hallway. 

Just like last time, they were ambushed by monsters, but it was easier to take them out with more people fighting. 

\---

Once again, the group found themselves outside the throne room, more prepared than before for what was awaiting them. Quieg and Ed would flank on the sides while Hardin and Kellad charged up the front and Ain and Ryan supported from the rear. 

This time they were very quick to kill the demon. The five of them stood around the throne still occupied by the skeletal remains of Ergoth Dunamis, which was the name of the demon. 

“Ha, he wasn’t so scary this time huh,” Ed said, punching the air in victory. 

“And we all survived this time!” Ain exclaimed, giving a side hug to Ed. 

“Good job, everyone.” Quieg said, sheathing his daggers. 

“Woah! He speaks!” Ryan exclaimed in fake shock. 

“I guess you do know more than three words,” Hardin said, giving him a gentle punch to the shoulder. 

Quieg smiled a little as they continued laughing and joking around, before they were once again transported back to the entrance hall of the castle. 

\--- 

“Again? I thought we beat the demon so this wouldn’t happen again,” Ain said, disappointed. 

“Maybe it was residual energy or something,” Hardin offered. 

“Or maybe it wasn’t the real Ergoth Dunamis we fought and this time he’ll be waiting for us,” Ed said. 

“There’s only one way to find out,” Kellad said, leading them back the way they went last time. 

\--- 

The cycle continued like this for what seemed like days, months, years. Quieg noticed his comrades were becoming exhausted from the constant fighting, more slip ups when fighting the monsters in the hall and with Ergoth. No matter how many breaks they took outside the throne room, though, Quieg could tell the sun was getting to everyone. To some extent, it was even getting to himself, but not to the same extent. 

“Everybody take a quick rest before we go inside. You’ll need it.” Kellad said, sitting down on the floor and leaning against the rubble. 

“How many times have we done this now?” Hardin asked. 

“I’ve lost count,” Ryan replied. 

“Far too many in my opinion. What’s even going on?” Ed asked. 

“If he’s trying to wear us down, it’s working,” Ain replied. 

Quieg sat down by himself, looking at his comrades as they tried to sleep and find a moment of peace in this never ending hell. They’d tried everything to get out, having Ed walk back the way they came that first day when he became injured for real only to find a barrier preventing them from escaping. They had also tried not fighting Ergoth Dunamis, only to return back to the beginning like clockwork. Regardless of if they beat the demon or not, the Prince always died and the cycle reset. There was no way out and it was showing in his teammates attitudes and personalities. 

Even Quieg had to admit that he missed the way Ed would always have something to say about everything, Hardin’s hard working attitude, Ain’s attempts to help everyone better themselves, Ryan’s kindness. Quieg himself hadn’t changed much, though, and it seemed like everyone noticed. 

When they woke up again, they solemnly opened the doors to the throne room and began the process over again. 

\---

The cycles dragged on and on and on. Quieg had died more times than he could count and the mental exhaustion was really getting to the others. They began asking him if he was even human and how he could be withstanding the effects of the curse. 

He simply shrugged it off each time they asked, until Ed died, at least. 

Normally when one of them died, they would be brought back the next cycle, physically okay, but this time was different. Someone must have accidentally hit him with their weapon in the fight and it killed him for real. 

Ain broke down crying when she realized it was permanent and Ed didn’t appear with them in the next cycle. 

“Who killed him?” She asked between sobs. 

“I…” Ryan started. 

“Uhm…” Harding began. 

“I don’t know.” Quieg said. He still wasn’t talkative, but he spoke more now than he used to and the others had gotten used to it by now. 

“It had to be one of us. Don’t you remember how the only wounds we sustain are ones we give each other? That’s the only way Ed could’ve died for real.” 

“We were all too exhausted in that last fight to keep track of it.” 

“I know I accidentally shot him more than once but I don’t think it was me this time.” 

Ain turned to Kellad, the only person who hadn’t spoken. 

“You killed him.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous Ain. I wasn’t anywhere near him in that cycle.” 

“But it’s your fault we keep fighting the stupid demon in the first place! It’s for your prince that we’re always too late to save! What’s even the point of continuing on like this if we’re just going to keep dying and respawning here every day?” 

Kellad was silent. 

\--- 

**Final objective:** Kill Ain, Hardin, and Ryan. 

The order rang out through the air. Kellad had asked Quieg to do the unthinkable. They had sworn an oath to Sharenia and to themselves, that they would do anything to protect and defend. 

Quieg instinctively pulled out his daggers and stepped forward. 

“You’re not serious, right Quieg?” Ryan asked, putting his hands up and stepping backwards. 

Quieg stepped forward again. 

“Quieg, you’re scaring me,” Ain said, eyes puffy and red from crying. 

He lifted his dagger to Ryan’s neck.

“Listen to us Quieg!” Hardin shouted, pulling his own sword out. 

He stopped. Did he really want to do this? He couldn’t disobey orders, and he was ordered to eliminate the people he had been working with for years now in these cycles. Maybe it would be an act of mercy to kill them. And then they would finally be free. 

His hand trembled a bit and the dagger dug into Ryan’s neck. Ryan let out a yelp in pain but stayed where he was. 

“I’m...sorry,” Quieg said before quickly turning the dagger towards Kellad. 

Kellad, too, was exhausted from the endless cycles, but he somehow had held onto hope until now. 

“What are you doing Quieg?” Kellad asked him, confused by his actions. 

The others looked just as confused. They had all thought Quieg was an automaton at this point, just following orders given by Kellad as best he could. But now he was directly disobeying orders. 

“I can’t just kill my...friends. Not like this.” 

“Friends?” the three of them asked, shocked. 

Quieg stepped closer to Kellad. 

“I ordered you to kill the others. It’s a mercy at this point and you know it.” 

“How do we know you're not the one keeping us in these endless cycles?” Quieg asked. 

“Why would I do that? It tears me up as much as it does anyone else.” 

Quieg stepped closer and looked up at Kellad, dagger pointed at his heart. 

“You’re the only one with any motivation at all now.” 

“I thought you all promised to fight as long as a single soul was left in Sharenia.” 

“We’ve been going at this so long, I don’t think there’s a single soul  _ left _ ,” Ryan said from behind him. 

“It feels like it’s pointless to keep fighting a battle we know we can’t win,” Hardin added. 

“And Ed’s already died. We can’t keep on like this unless we all want to end up dead,” Ain said. 

“We refuse to keep going on like this.” 

“It’s your time to feel our pain, Kellad.” 

Kellad bowed his head and brought his hand up to Quieg’s outstretched dagger. 

“I have failed as a captain and must pay the price. But I beg of you to look around at your kingdom. Is this really what’s best for it?” 

“Our kingdom has been gone for years now,” Ain said, not letting any emotion into her voice. “We’ve been fighting for nothing for a while now. It just took us this long to realize.” 

“We haven’t seen another soul besides ourselves since that first cycle. It seems even the fleeing knights have given up hope,” Hardin replied, placing a hand on Quieg’s shoulder. 

“I think your loyalty lies more with the dying Prince we can never save. That’s why we keep fighting, isn’t it. You know it’s as hopeless as we do.” Ryan added. 

“I see. If that’s what you think, then I must accept my punishment. Do as you wish.” Kellad bowed his head and dropped his hand from Quieg’s dagger. 

Quieg hesitated again, unsure of what to do. He had never disobeyed orders like this before and his mind was racing. 

“It’s okay, Quieg. I have accepted my fate.” Kellad said. 

An apparition of Ed appeared behind Kellad. Quieg didn’t know if the others could see him or not, but they didn’t say anything. 

“He needs to pay for what he’s done to us, Quieg. It’ll all be over soon.” 

Quieg took a deep, shaky breath before plunging the dagger into Kellad’s chest. 

**Author's Note:**

> I have been lowkey hyperfixating on the Sharenian Knights for a few weeks now and needed to write this out. Quieg is my favorite and I wish he had more sprites :sob: but alas. He does not. I am coping by writing this. Might write a little follow up or epilogue to it some day IDK but probably not. Please tell me what you thought in the comments and leave some kudos, and don't forget to do that on all your favorite fics because it's really what motivates people to keep writing and putting out content you enjoy. Thank you!


End file.
